11
Imisebenzi Yokukholwa
1 Ukukholwa yikuba leqiniso lalokhu esikulindeleyo njalo kuqinisekile ngalokho esingakuboniyo. 2 Lokhu yikho abendulo abanconywa ngakho.
3 Ngokukholwa siyezwisisa ukuthi izulu lomhlaba kwadalwa ngokulaya kukaNkulunkulu, ngoba okubonakalayo kakwenziwanga ngalokho okwakubonakala.
4 Ngokukholwa u-Abheli wanikela kuNkulunkulu umnikelo omuhle kulokaKhayini. Ngokukholwa wanconywa njengomuntu olungileyo, ngesikhathi uNkulunkulu ekhuluma kuhle ngeminikelo yakhe. Njalo ngokukholwa ulokhu ekhuluma, lanxa sewafa.
5 Ngokukholwa u-Enoki wasuswa kulumhlaba ephila ukuze angakuzwa ukufa: “Kabonakalanga ngoba uNkulunkulu wayesemthethe.”* Engakathathwa, wayenconywe njengowayethokozise uNkulunkulu. 6 Kungelakukholwa akweneliseki ukumthokozisa uNkulunkulu ngoba oza kuye kumele akholwe ukuthi ukhona lokuthi uyabanika umvuzo labo abamdinga ngobuqotho.
7 Ngokukholwa uNowa esexwayisiwe ngezinto ezazingakabonakali, ngokwesaba okungcwele wakha umkhumbi ukuba ahlenge abendlu yakhe. Ngokukholwa kwakhe wawulahla umhlaba waba yindlalifa yokulunga okuza ngokukholwa.
8 Ngokukholwa u-Abhrahama esebizelwe ukuba aye endaweni ayezayamukela muva njengelifa lakhe, walalela wahamba, lanxa wayengakwazi lapho ayesiya khona. 9 Ngokukholwa wahlala elizweni lesithembiso njengesihambi, elizweni elingayisilo lakibo; wahlala emathenteni, njengokwenziwa ngu-Isaka loJakhobe, ababezindlalifa zalelolizwe lesithembiso kanye laye. 10 Ngoba wayelindele idolobho elilezisekelo, elimcandi walo lomakhi walo nguNkulunkulu. 11 Ngokukholwa, lanxa u-Abhrahama wayeseluphele loSara eyinyumba, wanikwa amandla okuba lomntwana ngoba wambona njengothembekileyo lowo owayenze isithembiso. 12 Ngakho-ke, kusukela kulumuntu oyedwa, owayefana lofileyo, kwavela inzalo enengi njengezinkanyezi emkhathini njalo engeke ibalwe njengenhlabathi ekhunjini lolwandle.
13 Abantu bonke laba bafa belokhu bephila ngokukholwa. Kabazamukelanga izinto ezathenjiswayo; bazibona nje kuphela bazithakazelela zikude. Njalo bavuma ukuthi bona babeyizizwe lezihambi emhlabeni. 14 Abantu abakhuluma izinto ezinje babonakalisa ukuthi bafuna ilizwe elingelabo. 15 Aluba babecabanga ngelizwe abasuka kulo, babezakuba lethuba lokubuyela. 16 Kodwa-ke bona babefuna ilizwe elingcono, lona elisezulwini. Ngakho uNkulunkulu akumyangisi ukubizwa ngokuthi unguNkulunkulu wabo, ngoba usebalungisele idolobho.
17 Ngokukholwa, kwathi u-Abhrahama ehlolwa nguNkulunkulu, wanikela u-Isaka njengomhlatshelo. Yena owayamukele izithembiso wayeseseduze ukuba anikele indodana yakhe eyodwa njalo eyiyo kuphela, 18 lanxa uNkulunkulu wayethe kuye, “isizukulwane sakho sizabalwa ngo-Isaka.”† 19 U-Abhrahama wanakana ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengabavusa abafileyo, njalo nxa kuzekeliswa, wamamukela u-Isaka evela ekufeni.
20 Ngokukholwa u-Isaka wabusisa uJakhobe lo-Esawu ngekusasa labo.
21 Ngokukholwa uJakhobe, esesifa wawabusisa wonke amadodana kaJosefa, wasekhonza eyame phezu kwentonga yakhe.
22 Ngokukholwa uJosefa, isiphetho sakhe sesisondele, walandisa ngokuphuma kwabako-Israyeli eGibhithe njalo walayezela ngamathambo akhe.
23 Ngokukholwa abazali bakaMosi bamfihla izinyanga ezintathu emva kokuzalwa kwakhe, ngoba babona ukuthi wayengasumntwana nje ojayelekileyo, njalo babengawesabi umthetho wenkosi.
24 Ngokukholwa uMosi esekhulile, wala ukuba aziwe njengendodana yendodakazi kaFaro. 25 Wakhetha ukuphathwa kubi kanye labantu bakaNkulunkulu kulokuba akholise injabulo yesono okwesikhathi esifitshane. 26 Wakhetha ihlazo ngenxa kaKhristu njengegugu elikhulu kulenotho yaseGibhithe ngoba wayekhangelele umvuzo phambili. 27 Ngokukholwa wasuka eGibhithe, engalwesabi ulaka lwenkosi; wabekezela ngoba wambona lowo ongabonakaliyo. 28 Ngokukholwa wagcina iPhasika lokuchelwa kwegazi, ukuze umbulali wamazibulo angawathinti amazibulo ako-Israyeli.
29 Ngokukholwa abantu badabula phakathi koLwandle oluBomvu njengasemhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa kwathi amaGibhithe ezama ukwenzanjalo agalula.
30 Ngokukholwa imiduli yaseJerikho yadilika emva kokuba abantu beyibhode okwensuku eziyisikhombisa.
31 Ngokukholwa uRahabi isifebe, ngoba wamukela inhloli, kabulawanga kanye lalabo ababengalaleli.
32 Kuyini okunye engingakutsho? Kangilasikhathi sokulandisa ngoGidiyoni, loBharakhi, loSamsoni, loJeftha, loDavida, loSamuyeli kanye labaphrofethi, 33 abanqoba imibuso ngokukholwa benza okulungileyo njalo bathola okwakuthenjisiwe; bona abavala imilomo yezilwane, 34 bacitsha ukuvutha kwamalangabi, baphepha lasebukhalini benkemba; ubuthakathaka babo baphenduka baba ngamandla; njalo baba lamandla empini bawachitha amabutho ezizweni. 35 Abesifazane bamukela abafayo babo sebevuselwe ekuphileni futhi. Abanye bahlukuluzwa njalo bala ukukhululwa, ukuze bathole ukuvuka ekufeni okuhle. 36 Abanye bahozwa batshaywa, kwathi abanye babotshwa ngamaketane bafakwa entolongweni. 37 Batshaywa ngamatshe, baqunywa ngesaha baba yiziqa ezimbili; babulawa ngenkemba. Bahamba begqoke izikhumba zezimvu lezikhumba zembuzi, beswela, behlukuluzwa, bephathwa kubi, 38 umhlaba kubo wawungabafanele. Bantula enkangala lasezintabeni lasezimbalwini kanye lasemilindini emhlabathini.
39 Bonke laba banconywa ngokukholwa kwabo, kodwa kakho phakathi kwabo owathola okwakuthenjisiwe. 40 Thina uNkulunkulu wayesimisele okuhle ukuze kuthi sebe kanye lathi bapheleliswe.
* 11:5 UGenesisi 5.24 † 11:18 UGenesisi 21.12